An Amnesty International adviser was prevented from taking a scarf drawing attention to Qatar's treatment of migrant workers into Denmark's game against France on Monday despite the home side's kit being designed to highlight the same cause.
Denmark's midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (L) and Denmark's forward Kasper Dolberg both jump to head the ball during the UEFA Nations League football match between Denmark and France in Copenhagen on September 25, 2022. Photo: FRANCK FIFE
Annette Stubkjaer Rimmer, a political adviser to Amnesty in Denmark, had been outside the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen for the Nations League game, selling yellow scarves bearing the message "#ForMigrantWorkers".
"We were about around 10, 15 people that were standing outside of the stadium talking to football fans about FIFA and Qatar, and their responsibilities to compensate migrant workers that has suffered in the preparations for the World Cup," Stubkjaer said.
When she went to take her seat for the game, in which Denmark beat the reigning world champions 2-0, she was told that the scarf would not be allowed in.
"Security guards stopped us ... and then they decided after talking together that it was too political for them to let us in with the scarf, so that we had to leave the scarf outside of the stadium," she said.
On Tuesday sportswear company Hummel said on Instagram that the kit Denmark will wear at the World Cup, which they also wore against France, was designed as a protest against Qatar's human rights record.
Hummel said it had toned down the details on Denmark's World Cup jerseys and also released a black kit.
Qatar's World Cup organisers, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC), said it disputed Hummel's claim that "the tournament has cost thousands of people their lives".
"Furthermore, we wholeheartedly reject the trivialising (of) our genuine commitment to protect the health and safety of the 30,000 workers who built FIFA World Cup stadiums and other tournament projects," it added.
Jakob Hoyer, head of communications for the Danish Football Association (DBU), which has worked together with Amnesty on issues around human rights and the World Cup and was Monday's match organisers, told Denmark's TV2 Sport that Stubkjaer should have been allowed into the stadium with her scarf.
"In itself, the message '#ForMigrantWorkers' is not political, and it should be possible to bring such a scarf to a national match in Parken," he said.
Denmark will face Tunisia, France and Australia in Group D when the World Cup gets under way in November.
Qatar confirms COVID test requirements for World Cup fans
Fans attending the World Cup in Qatar must show proof of a negative Covid-19 test regardless of their vaccination status, organisers said in a statement.
All visitors aged six and over must present a negative result from a PCR test taken within 48 hours before their departure or from a rapid antigen test taken in the 24 hours before arriving, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy said.
Results of the rapid antigen tests will only be accepted if they are from official medical centres and not self-administered. No further tests will be required in Qatar if visitors do not develop symptoms of Covid-19.
Visitors aged 18 and above will also be required to download a government-run contact tracing phone application called Ehteraz.
"A green Ehteraz status (showing the user does not have a confirmed case of Covid-19) is required to enter any public closed indoor spaces," the statement added.
Fans will have to wear masks on public transport but vaccination is not mandatory for the unprecedented influx of 1.2 million visitors expected for the Nov. 20-Dec. 18 tournament.
"Anyone who tests positive for Covid-19 while in Qatar will be required to isolate in accordance with Ministry of Public Health guidelines," the statement said.
Qatar has recorded more than 440,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 692 deaths from the virus, according to data from the Ministry of Public Health.
The country has a population of 2.8 million, of which barely 380,000 are Qatari nationals. A total of 7,487,616 vaccine doses have been administered so far, the data states.
- Reuters
